Self-regulating exhaust control system



Nov. 29, 1966 c o s ETAL 3,287,898

SELF-REGULATING EXHAUST CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Jan. 11, 1965 2Sheets-Sheet l 67/02415 W Maze/5 lee/v5 Lo l e e/Ea fvvE/vroes.

c. w. MORRIS ETAL 3,287,898

SELF-REGULATING EXHAUST CONTROL SYSTEM Nov. 29, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.ZVVENTOQS.

67/0/2455 W Maze/s ZOE/V5 L. F Q/ Z/EQ Filed Jan. 11, 1965 75 507%flrromvsys.

e Unlted States Patent O ce 3287898 Patented Nov. 29, 1966SELF-REGULATING riiil ll ti r CONTROL SYSTEM R Th 1 Ombusfi' Exhaust ltlf d Charles W. Morris, 11769 Chenault St., Los Angeles, on l Ion 'p'm' Pi ti l i l l s t Calif., and Lorne L. Frazier, 2514 W. 171st St,Torrance, Calif. 5

Filed Jan. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 424,546 Idling soesso Ol0sed Maximum- 6 to8 17-19 7 Claims- (CL 0 30 Cruising 1, 000-3, 500 132N213; Minimum. 15to 70 1217 Accelerating. 1, 0004, 000 O BnQ. MinimaL- 40 to 200 0-3 or 4The present invention pertains to methods and means Decclerating.4,000-550 Cl0sed Maxiimnm ems 24- whereby the content of unburnedhydrocarbons, fuel components and other pollutants contained in theexhaust gases of internal combustion engines may be eliminated The abovevalues may vary with size, design and peror at least minimized. Morespecifically, the invention formance characteristics of an internalcombustion engine, pertains to a method whereby a self-regulating systemis but exhaust combustibles and pollutants are always at provided, thevarious components of the system reacting 15 maximum values duringidling and deceleration. It has in accordance with the operatingcondition of the engine been found that additional air, in an amountapproxiwithout interference or impairment of engine performance mating40% (35% to 45%) of the volume of exhaust or reduction in the main shaftpower output of the engine gases being discharged, should be providedduring these and without the necessity of installing and maintaining twostages of operation in order to burn or facilitate complicated andtroublesome secondary control devices. elimination of the residualcombustibles. In terms of Although it has been recognized heretoforethat i the above tabulation, between 2.5 and 3.2 c. f.m. of air exhaustgases of internal combustion engines contain hyneed be added to theexhaust. gases during idling and drocarbons and combustible fuelcomponents which are deceleration, for an average size of engine. majorcontributors to air pollution, and systems and de- It is evident that ablower driven by the shaft and at vices designed to ameliorate dischargeof such pollutants speeds correlated to engine speed would not answerthe have been disclosed heretofore, the prior attempts have requirementsduring acceleration, deceleration and idling. not been entirelysatisfactory. Among other reasons why 1 In accordance with the methodand means of the present prior attempts have not been successful are (1)failure to invention when a vehicle is accelerating and engine r.p.m.recognize the dififerences in character of exhaust gas comis increasingfrom say 2,000 to 3,000 r.p.m. the method position at difierentoperating conditions of an engine; and and means here disclosed willsupply a minimal (2) the size and complexity of the devices and units;amount of air; when the vehicle is decelerating and engine and (3)impairment of performance characteristics of an speed is decreasingthrough the same range (3,000 to engine equipped with complex units.2,000 r.p.m.) a maximum amount of air will be supplied. Although themeans and methods of this invention are The present invention provides aself-regulating method applicable to any internal combustion engine(whether whereby additional air is supplied to the exhaust systemstationary or on a vehicle) they are of greatest utility in accordancewith then existing operating conditionof when applied to enginesoperated under varying condithe internal combustion engine. Generallystated, the tions of load and speed. As used herein, acceleration methodutilizes latent, waste power (which is not normally shall refer to astage or condition where the r.p.m. of an utilized) in generating torquewhich then drives a very engine is increasing and deceleration shallrefer to a 40 compact blower which supplies the necessary air to thestage or operation where the engine speed is decreasing; exhaust systemvirtually only during idling and deceleraidling is a stage wherein theengine is at a low speed tion. (generally 200 to 500 r.p.m.); cruisingas used herein The means of this invention hereafter disclosed ingreatmay be a stage where the engine is at a substantially er detail areparticularly adapted for mass production, constant working speed of say2,000; 3,000 or 4,000 r.p.m. are compact and simple to install and(after minor ad- The term exhaust system of an internal combustionjustment) the same units are capable of being used on engine, as usedherein, refers to all portions of the engine internal combustion enginesof widely varying size and downstream from its exhaust valves and mayinclude the design. The means of the present invention are compactexhaust ports in the head or engine body, the exhaust and free fromsecondary controls, valves, by-pass arrangemanifold, exhaust pipe,mufiler and whatever type of ments, etc. which may be sources ofbreakdown and malcatalytic, electrostatic or secondary combustion(afterfunctioning when the engine is operated under road conburner) typeof device is used in treating the exhaust gases ditions for a protractedperiod of time. emitted by the exhaust ports and manifold- An object ofthe present invention therefore is to pro- It has been recognizedheretofore that it is desirable vide a method and a system forfacilitating the removal to add air to the exhaust gases of an internalcombustion of residual combustibles and pollutants from the exhaustengine, in order to facilitate a secondary combustion or gases ofaninternal combustion engine. promote the elimination of harmfulirritating pollutants A further object is to attain the above byutilizing herecarried by the exhaust gases. Some prior workers (as intofore unused latent forces (normally produced by an Patent 2,667,031)have provided air supply blowers operating engine) in supplyingadditional air to the ex- Which were belt driven from the main shaft ofthe engine. haust system of an engine in a self-regulating manner. Sucharrangements not only reduce the performance char- Another object is toprovide compact, foolproof means acteristics of the engine but fail toeither supply the whereby predetermined amounts of air are automaticallyproper amount of additional air under certain operating andpreferentially supplied to the exhaust system of an conditions orprovide excessive amou t of air under internal combustion engine duringidling and deceleration, other conditions, since the amount of air beingsupplied whereas minimal amounts of air are supplied during acissomewhat proportional to engine r.p.m. That such Celeration, andCruisingprior attempts are not sound or workable will become In thedrawing apparent from the following data. FIG. 1 is a simplified sideelevation of an internal com For purposes of explanation andsimplification, the 'bustion engine provided with one form of theinvention; four important stages of operating conditions of a typicalFIG. 2 is a vertical, axial section through an exemplary internalcombustion engine may be represented by the following values:

torque generating motor and blower combination which may be employed inthe system shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are transverse sections taken along planes III-III andIVIV of FIG. 2, showing turbine and blower arrangements, respectively;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged axial section illustrating a preferred form ofbearing assembly for use in the device of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 diagrammatically illustrates a modified system and various zonesof the exhaust system to which additional air may be supplied in aself-regulating manner;

FIG. 7 is a section thru a simple orifice-type restrictor embodied inthe system of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a section through one form of auxiliary temperature responsivearrangement which may be used with some forms of exhaust gas treatingdevices employed in the systems of FIGS. 2 and 6.

As shown in FIG. 1, the system herein disclosed employs an internalcombustion engine generally indicated at 10, such engine having anintake manifold 11 supplied with a suitable fuel-air mixture by any oneof the many forms of carburetors and similar devices, a typicalcarburetor being indicated at 12. In most instances, such carburetorsare provided with fuel, include a throttle valve (indicated at 13), achoke indicated at 14 and some form of filter 15 for removing solidimpurities from incoming air.

The exhaust systems of such an engine may include the exhaust valvechambers in the head of the engine, an exhaust manifold 16, exhaust pipe17 leading to any suitable type of mufiler or device 18 for treatinggases to facilitate the combustion, removal or elimination ofhydrocarbons and pollutants which may be discharged from the exhaust, orto a combination of such device with a mufller.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a combinedmotor-blower unit 20 which may be mounted on a bracket or in anysuitable location adjacent the engine. The blower section of this unitdraws in ambient air through a supply line 21 and discharges the majorportion of such air at a slightly higher absolute pressure into anydesired portion of the exhaust system, as for example, into the exhaustpipe 17 as indicated in FIG. 1. The motor section of unit 20 isconnected as by line 23 to a zone or reduced sub-atmospheric pressure inthe intake manifold or any portion of the engine between the throttle'13and the intake valve ports of the engine 10, and utilizes this normallyproduced but heretofore unused low pressure in generating torque.

The preferred form of torque generating unit or combined motor-blower 20is illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. As there shown, the unit maycomprise .a body 24 and end plates 25 and 26. The torque generating unitshown in the drawing embodies an enclosed, impulse-type turbine having aseries of buckets 31 on its runner 32 mounted upon the shaft 34, saidturbine runner being adapted to rotate within a chamber 33 having a portin communication with conduit 23. 7 An appropriate small nozzle 37tangential to the pitch radius of the runner 32 is provided, such nozzlebeing supplied with air through a passageway 38 in the body 24 and aconfluent passageway 38 in the end plate 25. The passageway 38' leads toan axial chamber 39 which is in communication with air at substantiallyatmospheric pressure through conduit 21.

The chamber 39 also acts as a supply chamber for the blower 41, theblower having a plurality of radially extending vanes discharging intoan annular chamber of progressively increasing cross-section andterminating in a tangential discharge port 42 in communication withdischarge conduit 22 (see FIG. 4). It is to be noted that only a smallproportion of the air supplied to chamber 39 by line 21 is divertedthrough passageway 38-458! to the nozzle 37; the cross-sectional areasare so proportioned so as to permit most of the air to be acted upon" bythe blower 40. M It is to be noted that air at substantially atmosphericpressure is supplied to the nozzle 37 whereas the discharge or tail raceof the turbine is in communication by conduit 23 with a zone ofsub-atmospheric pressure such as the zone existing in the intakemanifold 11 wherein absolute pressures on the order of l36 Hg existduring idling and deceleration conditions of the engine. As a result,air at high velocity is discharged through the nozzle, acts upon therunner and its buckets and generates torque in shaft 34. This torque istransmitted to the blower 40 mounted on the opposite end or the shaft.The greatest proportion of the air supplied to chamber 38 is thereforedischarged by the blower vanes into the spiral discharge passageway 41and through pipe 22 to any suitable portion of the exhaust system of theengine. Design parameters should provide a blower which will deliver airin quantities ranging from about 35 %-45 by volume of the normal exhaustgas flow of the engine during idling and deceleration; the pressure ofthe air so discharged may be slightly above 30" Hg, a pressure of 34" or35" Hg absolute being adequate.

It may be noted that the entire unit 20 may be extremely small, may bemade of die cast parts and a standard unit of a given size may bereadily adapted for eliective use on internal combustion engines,(littering greatly in piston displacement and number of operatingcylinders, by partially blocking passageway 38 or 38 and, if desired,introducing a restriction or orifice plate between turbine chamber 33and line 23.

The shaft 34 often revolves at high speed and it is desirable to mountthe same in suitable ball bearings 44 and 44' and to employ alabyrinth-type seal 45 around the shaft 34 and between the ball bearingraces. A sleevetype labyrinth seal made of a synthetic resinous materialsuch as Teflon (tetrafluorocarbon composition) or the like and having aplurality of minute flanges or ribs on its surface is eminently suitablefor use as a self-sealing bearing.

As previously stated, the air discharged by the blower by line 22 may beconducted to any desired portion of the exhaust system of the engine toefiiciently facilitate the combustion, elimination, removal, conversionor ameliora tion of combustibles and pollutants normally present inexhaust gases of the engine.

Attention is called to the fact that the system described isself-regulating in that as intake manifold pressure approachesatmospheric (during acceleration and cruising conditions) very littletorque is generated and the blower eitect is unappreciable so that airis pumped into conduit 22 at a minimal rate. However, air in adequateamounts is pumped to the conduit during idling and deceleration becauseduring such operating conditions, relatively low absolute presures existin the intake manifold and in conduit 23 and during such operatingconditions, maximum amounts of combustib-les exist in the exhaust andrequire maximum amounts of added air to facilitate their combustion andremoval. It will be appreciated that in the event an engine wereequipped with a system to continually furnish added air to an exhausttreating device at a rate more or less proportional to r.p.rn. of theengine, a catalytic or afterburner-type of exhaust treating device mayhave its temperature greatly reduced during cruising so that the devicebecomes ineffective during deceleration, just when it is expected toperform at peak efiiciency. Such malfunctioning cannot tack place withthe system of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates certain modifications which can be utilized eithersingly or in combination. It will be noted that the air intake line 21'leading to the power conversion unit and blower 26 receives its air fromthe ambient atmosphere and is not connected to the normal air filter 15.However, it is desirable to use clean air in the system and thereforethe suction line 21' may be provided with a small air filter 15'.Moreover, the air discharged by the blower through line 22' may be sentdirectly to the intake manifold as indicated by dash lines 2211, may besent directly into the exhaust chambers of the head, immediatelyadjacent the intake valves therein or may be directed as by line 22bdirectly into an exhaust treating device such as the afterburner typeindicated at 50'.

Devices such as a combustor 50*, as well as catalytictype gas treatingdevices, operate most eflectively at predetermined, relatively hightemperatures on the order of 1500-1700 F. In order to preventexcessively high temperatures in such devices, it may be desirable toreduce the amount of air being supplied thereto. As shown in FIG. 8, thecombustor 50 may be provided at a suitable point with a temperatureresponsive device which, in the form illustrated, comprises an outersheath 51 of temperature resisting alloy containing a quartz rod 52having a lower coefiiciency of expansion than the sheath 51. The freeend of the quartz rod may bear against a valve arm 53 pivoted at 54, thearm being normally biased against the rod 52 as by spring 55. The end ofarm 53 carries a valve 56 which is normally seated upon the end ofconduit 29. 'The enclosed chamber 57 in which the valve operates issupplied by line 21" with air at substantially atmospheric pressure andtemperature. It will be evident that in the event the temperature withinthe combustor or treating unit 50 exceeds a predetermined degree, valvearm 53 will open the valve 56 and permit atmospheric air to pass throughthe chamber 57 into line 29, the end of such line being connected toline 23' adjacent the turbine unit 20. This will increase the presureadjacent the chamber 33 in which the turbine operates, therebydecreasing the pressure differential between such chamber and the airbeing jetted into the chamber from conduit 38 and in this way reduceturbine speed and power. Such reduction in torque and speed reduces theamount of air being pumped by blower 40 to the exhaust system and thisin turn tends to reduce the amount of oxidation tak ing place in thedevice 50 and lowers its temperature. Moreover, the additional air beingfurnished to the intake manifold through the line 29 now tends to leanthe fuelair mixture and tends to reduce the amount of residualcombustibles in the exhaust gases.

It is desirable however to place a limit upon the amount of additionalair fed into the intake manifold as by line 23. For this reason it isdesirable to place an orifice plate or restrictor in line 23. A suitablearrangement to accomplish this purpose is indicated in FIG. 7 wherein itwill be noted that the runner chamber 33 of the turbine is incommunication with a fitting 63, the end of the fitting being removablyconnected to line 23 so as to permit ready insertion of an orifice plate64 into the stream flowing from chamber 33 and line 29 into line 23. Bythe use of similar restrictors in line 23, (FIG. 1), standardized unitscan be adapted for eifecti-ve use on engines of smaller or larger pistondisplacement.

We claim:

1. A self-regulating system for facilitating the reduction of pollutantsand combustibles in exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine, suchengine having an intake zone at variable subatmospheric pressure duringoperation and an exhaust system, comprising: a turbine adapted togenerate torque, said turbine including a substantially enclosed runnermounted upon a rotatable shaft, nozzle means for directing gas from asource at virtually atmospheric pressure for reaction against saidrunner, and a spent gas outlet port; pipe means communicating said spentgas port with an intake zone of an internal combustion engine; a blowerdriven by said shaft; means for supplying air at virtually atmosphericpressure to said blower; a discharge port from said blower; and pipemeans for conducting air from said discharge port to the exhaust systemof said engine, whereby the speed of said turbine and blower and thevolume of air discharged by the blower are varied generally inversely tothe absolute pressure of the engine intake zone.

2. A system as stated in claim 1 wherein the blower is arranged todischarge air at a volumetric rate of be- 6 tween about 35% and about45% of the volumetric rate at which exhaust gases are discharged by theengine during idling and deceleration thereof.

3. A system as stated in claim 1 wherein the exhaust system of theengine includes a device for oxidizing and rendering innocuouscombustibles and pollutants carried by exhaust gases emitted by theengine, and the pipe means from the discharge port of the blower conductair to such device.

4. A system as stated in claim 1 wherein the exhaust system of theengine includes a device for oxidizing and rendering innocuouscombustibles and pollutants carried by exhaust gases emitted by theengine, the blower is arranged to discharge air at a volumetric rate ofbetween about 35% and about 45% of the volumetric rate at which exhaustgases are discharged by the engine during idling and decelerationthereof, and the pipe means from the discharge port of the blowerconducts air to such device.

5. A system as stated in claim 3 including means responsive to selectedhigh temperatures in said device for admitting air at virtuallyatmospheric pressure into the pipe means communicating with the spentair port of said turbine, whereby the speed of the turbine and blower isreduced.

6. A self-regulating method of supplying air to the exhaust system of aninternal combustion engine during idling and deceleration thereof, byutilizing normally nonutilized power potential produced during operationof an internal combustion engine, the engine having a primary air supplyzone, a modulated intake zone at a lower absolute pressure than saidprimary air supply zone and an exhaust system, comprising: generatingtorque in a motor unit by conducting a portion only of air from theprimary air supply zone to an intake zone of a motor unit andcommunicating a discharge zone of such unit with the modulated intakeone of the engine, the intake and discharge zoncs of the motor unitbeing in torque generating relation; driving a blower with torque thusgenerated by the motor unit, conducting a further and larger portion ofair from the primary air supply zone to said blower and conducting airdischarged by said blower into a desired portion of the exhaust systemof the engine.

7. A self-regulating method of supplying air to the exhaust system of aninternal combustion engine during idling and deceleration thereof, byutilizing normally nonutilized power produced during operation of aninternal combustion engine, the engine having a modulated intake zone ata subatmospheric pressure which varies with operating conditions of theengine, and an exhaust system, comprising: generating torque in a motorunit by conducting air at virtually atmospheric pressure to an intakezone of a motor unit and communicating a discharge zone of such unitwith the modulated intake zone of the engine, the intake and dischargezones of the motor unit being in torque generating relation; driving ablower with torque thus generated by the motor unit, conducting afurther and larger portion of air at virtually atmopheric pressure tosaid blower and conducting air discharged by said blower into a desiredportion of the exhaust system of the engine.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,116,596 1/ 1964Boehme et a1. 60-30 FOREIGN PATENTS 483,217 7/ 3 Italy.

MARK NEWMAN, Primary Examiner.

RALPH D. BLAKESLEE, Examiner.

1. A SELF-REGULATING SYSTEM FOR FACILITATING THE REDUCTION OF POLLUTANTSAND COMBUSTIBLES IN EXHAUST GASES OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE, SUCHENGINE HAVING AN INTAKE ZONE AT VARIABLE SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE DURINGOPERATION AND AN EXHAUST SYSTEM, COMPRISING: A TURBINE ADAPTED TOGENERATE TORQUE, SAID TURBINE INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY ENCLOSED RUNNERMOUNTED UPON A ROTATABLE SHAFT, NOZZLE MEANS FOR DIRECTING GAS FROM ASOURCE AT VIRTUALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE FOR REACTION AGAINST SAIDRUNNER, AND A SPENT GAS OUTLET PORT; PIPE MEANS COMMUNICATING SAID SPENTGAS PORT WITH AN INTAKE ZONE OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE; A BLOWERDRIVEN BY SAID SHAFT; MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AIR AT VIRTUALLY ATMOSPHERICPRESSURE TO SAID BLOWER; A DISCHARGE PORT FROM SAID BLOWER; AND PIPEMEANS FOR CONDUCTING AIR FROM SAID DISCHARGE PORT TO THE EXHAUST SYSTEMOF SAID ENGINE, WHEREBY THE SPEED OF SAID TURBINE AND BLOWER AND THEVOLUME OF AIR DISCHARGE BY THE BLOWER ARE VARIED GENERALLY INVERSELY TOTHE ABSOLUTE PRESSURE OF THE ENGINE INTAKE ZONE.
 7. A SELF-REGULATINGMETHOD OF SUPPLYING AIR TO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINE DURING IDLING AND DECELERATION THEREOF, BY UTILIZING NORMALLYNONUTILIZED POWER PRODUCED DURING OPERATION OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINE, THE ENGINE HAVING A MODULATED INTAKE ZONE AT A SUBATMOSPHERICPRESSURE WITH VARIES WITH OP-